is vital to the united states and the american security guarantee is essential to the continuation of europe's democracies. we were with you then. we are with you now. your hopes are our hopes and your destiny is our destiny. here in this place where the west held together, let us make a vow to our dead. let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. the our actions say to them lessened which matthew , "i will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." for theontinue to stand ideals for which they lived and died. thank you very much, and god bless you all. [applause]

>> this is american history tv on c-span3 where we are marking the 70th anniversary of the d-day invasion. we continue our look at past presidential speeches in normandy. up next, we hear from bill clinton on the 50th anniversary of d-day in june, 1994. >> general downing, mr. hathaway, honored members of our military, distinguished veterans, family, friends, and fellow americans, we stand on sacred soil. 50 years ago at this place, ofrica -- a miracle liberation began. on that morning, democracy

to end theed enslavement of europe. came -- general james earl rutter, second battalion commander of the army, left 24 up these clips. bullets and grenades came down upon them, but a few minutes after 7:00, here, exactly here, the first rangers stood. today, let's ask those american heroes to stand again. [applause] corporal bb10 barton who sits

here to my right was one of them. he had just celebrated his 20th birthday out in the channel. likeng man -- a young man the rest, cold and far from home , preparing for the challenge of his life. he and all the other americans and canadians and british who landed where the tip of the spear sharpened. into thet was plunged heart of the not the empire. i empire. they knew they fought for a good cause under the gaze of a loving god was up the fortunate ones would -- of a loving god. the fortunate ones would go home, changed forever. thousands -- sounds of aircraft]

thousands would never return, and today, we mourn their loss. but on that graydon -- grey dawn, million, literally millions of people awaited their arrival. young anne frank wrote in her diary these words. "it is no exaggeration to say that all amsterdam, all holland, yes, the whole west coast of europe talks about the invasion day and night, debates about it, make that on it, and hopes. i have the feeling friends are approaching.

just four years earlier, some thought democracies day had passed. our people were badly divided they sneered at democracy, it's mingling of races and religions, is tolerance of dissent -- it's tolerance of dissent. they didn't think we knew what it took. they didn't know james rudder or ken barton or the other men of d-day. millions of them gathered together as one, like the stars of a majestic galaxy. here in this place, in britain, in north america, and among resistance fighters in france across europe.

all of those numberless traces came together, the choices to rally their people, the choice to mobilize for a freedom fight. to carry on the fight , weary with despair. in, every woman you worked in a factory, every farmer who grew food for the troops. tended a victory garden. their part and produced things with their hands and their hearts that went into this battle. and on d-day, all across the ofe world, the people democracy pray that they had done their job right. well, they had done their job right. and here, you, the army rangers, did yours.

your mission was to scale these tops -- cliffs of to the and destroy that which threaten every soldier for miles around. you waited too sure and began to in sinking sand, cut youe germans try to down, with nothing but the knives you have and your own bare hands. on omaha and raged utah, you took the devastating casualties. but you also took control of these commanding times. rangers is a.m., to covered the big guns hidden inland and disabled them with grenades. at that moment, you became the first americans on d-day to complete your mission. we look at this terrain and we marvel at your fight. and we seeund us

what you are fighting for. for here are the daughters of colonel rutter. here are the sons and grandson of corporal barton. here are the faces for which you risk your life. -- your lives. your other generations for which you won your -- won a war. we are the children of your sacrifice. we are the sons and daughters you saved from tierney's reach. -- tyranny'st reach. we flourished in the nation you fought to build. the most difficult day in your life bought us 50 years of freedom.

you did your job. now we must do ours. let us begin by teaching our young people about the villainy that started this war and the battle that ended it. let's carry on the work he began here. the sparks of the freedom eu struck on these beaches were never extinguished, even in the days behind -- the freedom you struck on these beaches were never extinguished, even in the days behind the iron curtain as communism came tumbling down. now we stand at the start of a new day. the soviet empire is gone. who fought as our partners in this war, the russians, the poles, and others, now stand in democracy. our work is far from done. still, there are cliffs to scale. expand thek to extinction of the most deadly weapons. we must have strong families and

cohesive societies and educated citizens. and vibrant, open economies that promote cooperation, not conflict. falter, wehould ever need only remember you at this spot 50 years ago, and you again at this spot today. flame of your youth became freedom's lamp, and we see it's like reflected in your faces still, and in the faces of your children and grandchildren. did,mmit ourselves, as you to keep that lamp burning for those who will follow. here.mpleted your mission but the mission of freedom goes on. the battle continues. the longest day is not yet over. god bless you and god bless america.